


Save you, Save me

by leiaesthetic



Category: Knives Out (2019)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26586526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leiaesthetic/pseuds/leiaesthetic
Summary: Popstar/Bodyguard AUMarta Cabrera, an uprising  American Popstar with Ecuadorianian roots needs protection. She has major anxiety after being stalked by her ex-boyfriend and both her mother and her manager Meg think its time she gets a personal bodyguard.Ransom Drysdale failed college,got kicked out by his mother and is now in desperate need of a job. Luckily his uncle Richard offers him a job as a bodyguard for a young singer, that is under contract with his recording label.Marta is suffering panic attacks while Ransom is angry that for the first time in his life he has to actually work to get by. What happens when these two meet?
Relationships: Marta Cabrera & Ransom Drysdale, Marta Cabrera/Ransom Drysdale
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Changes

**Author's Note:**

> I should probably clarify some role changes I made in order for this story to work:  
> Richard is not Ransoms father but his uncle, the brother of his deceased father who was married to Linda.  
> Harlan is mentioned here and there but doesn't actually appear.  
> Meg is not part of the Thrombey family and significantly older than in the movie.

Marta couldn't breathe. Her chest felt way too tight and she curled herself into a ball. On the cold, hard sidewalk, she was crumbling to the floor. The people that walked past her, didn't seem to notice or didn't care. Marta was too afraid to look up, he could be there again. Him being Jake, her ex-boyfriend who was stalking her now. Like last night when he was banging on the door of her hotel room, drunk and in rage. He was loudly slurring insults and shouted that she would regret leaving him when the Hotel security dragged him away from her door. Since the incident last night, Marta was sure he would hurt her if he got the chance to. That's why she broke down on the sidewalk when a guy accidentally bumped into her. She thought he would kill her then and there. But it was just some guy staring at his phone, he didn't even notice that he bumped into Marta and just walked along. "Mija? Marta? What happened? Are you alright?" It was her mom who shook Marta back into reality and she finally looked up. She didn't tell her mom about the thing with Jake. She didn't want her to worry and she thought he would give up after a week or so. But the thing is, Marta can't lie, when she does, she has to puke. So she couldn't lie to her mother's face. "Mama... its Jake, he's following me. I.. I thought he would stop, but... I'm so afraid." Marta's voice was trembling just like the rest of her body was from the coldness of the floor and her panic attack. Her mother helped her up and with an arm wrapped around her, lead her back to the black car that was waiting for them on the parking lot. Marta couldn't read the expression on her mother's face, but it was somehow odd. They got into the car and Marta didn't bother listening to the location her mother was telling the driver. She curled into the corner of her seat and blankly stared out of the window. After a while, she looked at her mother and asked:" Where are we going?" Her mother plainly answered "We're going to see Meg. It's time we get you a bodyguard."

Ransom was shocked. "What the hell!? You can't be serious mom? Where am I supposed to go?" The shock now faded into more and more anger. How dare her? She was his mother she couldn't just kick him out. "That is none of my concern anymore, Ransom you can... oh how do you always put it? Oh yes, you can eat shit. You're a disgrace to the family, never ever has anyone of the Thrombeys failed college, if your father was still with us, just imagine how disappointed he would be. I'm done paying for your food, your clothes, your car, and occasionally your bail money. You are 23 years old and already a total failure. You are no longer welcome in this family. I've cut you out of my will and so did your grandfather. So please, do leave and don't come back. I've packed your stuff already." Ransom was completely speechless. How was he supposed to respond to all of that, he couldn't put the anger that was boiling inside him into words. So when his mother threw his bag at his feet, he just grabbed it and walked away without looking back. He needed to punch something, so he walked to his usual boxing club which gladly wasn't that far away. He punched the punching bag until his fists were bleeding through the bandages. Afterward, desperation took the place of the anger inside him, he didn't even have a place to crash for the night. None of his college mates were real friends and also he didn't feel like explaining that he, Hugh Ransom Drysdale was practically homeless now, to a trustfund-lawyer-to-be who unlike him graduated college with honors. The only one who would maybe help him was his uncle Richard, the brother of his late dad. Richard was ok, he owned a famous record label and, unlike his mother didn't have a stick up his butt.

The atmosphere in Richard Drysdale's office was tense. Marta who looked like she was going to throw up any minute, her mother who was angrier than before because Richard didn't take the whole stalking thing seriously enough and Meg who had a very concerned look on her face sat across from Richard who definitely was the calmest person in the office at that moment. "Look, I understand that you're worried, but I promise you he'll give it up sooner or later. But, if it helps you sleep at night, I'll get Marta a personal bodyguard, we would've needed one anyway as soon a the tour starts next year. The most important thing is, that we keep this between us, we're not gonna call the cops, because the last thing we need before the album release in two weeks is bad press. We can't afford such a scandal at the moment, especially because you're a newcomer, Marta, the press would have a field trip with this. We're not on top yet, one hit single doesn't make a superstar. I hope you agree, Megan?" Meg just nodded, but still, she didn't like the idea of not informing the police about this. Marta stayed silent like somehow all of this wasn't about her. Her mother spoke up:" Fine, it's important that the release goes over smoothly, but if he didn't stop after that we're going to call the police, Comprende?" Richard and Meg agreed. "I'll call when I have someone for you and in case he knows where you live, I suggest you already move to the new house." Meg agreed and immediately made some calls.

Marta couldn't care less if they moved or not. She felt empty. She wasn't so sure anymore if that's what she wanted. The singing and writing songs part, of course, but the public interest, the media,all those problems seemed like mountains too high for her. Just yesterday she was so excited about her album coming out but today the thought just filled her with fear. She couldn't tell her mom though. But she also couldn't lie to her. She wanted her to be proud of her and she wanted to give all of them a better life. Alicia should be able to go to college and her mom should get time to relax for the first time in her life. Her stomach was roaring and Marta ran out of the office into the next bathroom and threw up her breakfast into the toilet.

"Hey, Uncle Rick. Uhmm... it's me, Ransom. I kinda need your help." Ransom was nervous, he wasn't used to asking for a place to sleep and some cash. Things just got handed to him for all his life and now he literally had been thrown into cold water. "Let me guess,your mother kicked you out for good." Richard snorted a laugh. Ransom was confused "Yeah that pretty much sums it up." How did Richard guess? "Your parents wanted to send you to a boarding school for difficult kids since you broke your grandmother's ming vase when you were 5. No wonder Linda loses her shit now that you failed university." Ransom could practically hear Richard's sly grin through the phone. "Nice to know." he just answered. "Where are you, I'll have someone pick you up, and then we talk about this over a glass of whiskey, alright? I may have exactly the right job for you, boy." Richard said. " Whatever you say, Uncle Rick. I'm at the boxing club at the fifth." Ransom said and the ended the call. What could Richard mean by "exactly the right job for you?" He didn't even have a college degree, the only thing he knew he was good at was causing trouble and throwing punches.In what job description was that requested?


	2. New home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of backstory on Marta and hints about Ransoms past. Enjoy😊

"I got this new singer Marta Cabrera, You've probably heard her song on the radio, it's in the top 10 charts this month. Are you familiar?" Richard asked Ransom and took a sip from his glass. "Maybe, but I'm not that really into pop songs. What about her though?" Ransom didn't get where this conversation was going. "Her mother thinks she needs a personal bodyguard. She's overprotective and it's unnecessary at the moment, there's no imminent danger. She's just at the beginning of her career. Personal Security is expensive and I'm not a fan of wasting money. So I think this would be the perfect job for you, Ransom, wouldn't it?" Richard smiled like he was in some sort of commercial. Ransom didn't know what to respond at first."I don't know, don't you need like special training or credentials for that?" He wasn't convinced that he was the right man for the job. "Ransom, you're fit and in shape and I know you could throw some punches if something were to happen. But it won't. Marta doesn't have aggressive, stalking fans. It's just for her reassurance so she can give her best performance. Just follow her around and try to look professional. You'll get your own room in her new home, it's a win-win situation for both of us. What do you say?" Ransom shortly considered that there actually wasn't anything to consider. It's not like he had many other options. "Ok, I'll do it," he said, drinking the rest of his whiskey. "Perfect, I'll call her manager right away and you can meet her in the morning." Richard got up from his chair and patted Ransom on the shoulder. "You'll do just fine."

Marta was overwhelmed. Her mother wasted no time, they were moving out today. Alicia, her sister was beyond excited to move to the new house, it was bigger and even had a pool. It's not like Marta picked it out herself, she left the finance and stuff to Meg and her mother, but she was glad that she could provide for her family now. Everything was perfect except for the part where she was being followed and threatened by her ex and couldn't tell anyone but her family about it. "Just pack the important things, for now, we'll get the rest later. Ándale!" her mother shouted from the kitchen. Marta felt a bit sad for leaving her childhood home, where she played hide and seek with Alicia and wrote her firsts songs on a guitar she had gotten for her birthday. Everything she had know was somehow tied to her home, so it's a lot to leave behind. Just as Marta was closing her travel bag, Meg called. "So, everything's set up at the house and Richard already took care of the security, you'll meet the guy tomorrow. I scheduled your Billboard interview for tomorrow afternoon and on Wednesday you'll be on the tonight show. Your outfits are picked out and I had them delivered to your new address. They're suggesting to you for the MTV Awards next month by the way. " Meg sounded very aflutter." Okay Meg, just slow down a bit. MTV Award, really? That's amazing." Marta couldn't believe that her debut single had already been such a huge success that she would get an award for it. "I know, Marta. You'll rock it and then nobody can stop you, not even stupid Jeff." Meg answered and Marta wished she could believe her. "Alright, gotta go, see you tomorrow, I'll have you picked up," Meg said and hung up before Marta could say goodbye to her too.  
Marta had just loaded the last box into the moving-truck and they were about to drive when she felt the November air just getting colder. Moving to the new house was a huge step and Marta just felt like there were a lot of huge steps in her life during the last couple of months. It had all started in April, she was singing and playing guitar in a small bar and some guy approached her and gave her his business card of Drysdale Records. She was hesitant about calling but her mom sort of pushed her. She knew that she could sing and it was her dream that one day her daughter would be famous. Marta didn't care for that much she just wanted to make people happy with her songs. But she took the chance and its paying off. Marta was just getting into the music business when her boyfriend Jeff was beginning to act inappropriate. He was spending her freshly earned money like it was worth nothing and bragged about her being his girlfriend. He was using her and at some point she just couldn't take it anymore and told hin it was over. They had been together since high-school but she couldn't say that she ever really loved him. Being with him was easy and soon it just became a sort of habit she didn't pay much thought to. She never expected that he would stalk her though. Marta just hoped that with the bodyguard and in the new house, this horror would be over and she could concentrate on her music and writing songs. 

THE NEXT MORNING 

Marta had slept well in her new bed, she got up early so she could wander around the house for a bit. It was way bigger than she anticipated, it had five bedrooms and every room had a on-suite bathroom, one even had a kitchenette, she assumed thats where the bodyguard would be staying. She couldn't say that she was excited to meet him, but it filled her with relief that she would have someone to watch out for her in public. She got dressed in the clothes Meg send over, wide black pants, yellow heels and a yellow top. She liked the outfit,yellow was her favorite coulor. Marta was doing her Make-up when the doorbell rang.

Ransom was tense and very nervous. He had never done this before,in fact he never even had a real job before. Even though this was more of a charade he still didn’t wanna do anything wrong. Richard told him a couple of things he should do and hired a permanent shuttle service so it would look more professional over all but Ransom had doubts he could do what was necessary in the case of emergency, hell he even got a gun but never really used one before, he believed in the power of his fists when it came to getting what he wanted. “Just follow her wherever she goes, keep a straight face and keep conversations to a minimum.” That’s what Richard had said. That couldn’t possibly be that hard,right?


End file.
